Phil Putnam - Centring People in Sales Leadership

Changing the Perception of Sales

As sales leaders, it can feel natural to focus on the things you can control, such as product direction, pricing strategies, and marketing campaigns. What often feels less straightforward—but is infinitely more impactful—is empowering your people. Trying to control people, however, crosses ethical lines and can harm morale and innovation. Instead, it's vital to see them as the driving force behind your goals. Your team members bring the energy, creativity, and dedication necessary for any real success, and their individual needs and motivations deserve respect and attention.

In this episode, Kyle sits down with Phil Putnam, former Senior Global Enablement Manager at Adobe, who shares insights from his journey through leadership. Phil discusses the importance of desire and empathy in effective people leadership, emphasising that many sales managers often prioritise the wrong things. Instead of focusing solely on metrics, he believes sales leaders should connect with the unique aspirations and strengths of each team member.
His approach, known as desire-based leadership, underscores that when leaders align their goals with the personal desires of their team, they create a foundation for genuine, sustained performance. To dive deeper into Phil’s perspective, tune into the episode and explore his book Desire-Based Leadership here.